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ROLLER SKATE. No. 327,222. Patented Sept 29, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

CHARLES J. BELKNAP AND FREDRIOK W. WOOD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN.

ROLLER-SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,222, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed April 9, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES J. BELKNAP and FREDRIOK W. WOOD, citizens of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Skates; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, c1ear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in rollerskates and the method of making the same, and has for its object to so form the several parts that the in convenience heretofore arising from the insufficient securing of the parts mentioned herein, and the use of rivets in the assembling of the skate, may be done away with; and with these ends in view our invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which our invention appertains may more fully understand our construction, we will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and which shows a side elevation of the plate and immediate appendages of a skate constructed in accordance with our improvement.

A is the foot-plate, curving upward at its forward end to conform to the shape of a shoesole, and provided with a heel-stop, B, at its rear extremity. CD are the hangers, in which the truck-springs are held, and to which said trucks are swivelly attached. E is a rib, formed integral with the lower side of the footplate and extending between the front and rear hangers. F is a brace-rod extending between the two hangers. G are pins projecting from the lower face of the hangers and adapted to hold the truck-springs as against lateral displacement. H are ways in which the clamps are adapted to travel, and which run across the bottom of the foot-plate at right angles to the length thereof. J are yokes depending from the foot-plate at front and rear, and in these yokes the right and left screws,

(No model.)

by means of which the foot-clamps are actuated, are journaled.

All the parts included in the foregoing description are formed integral and in a single casting, with the exception that the bracerod, which is apiece of stiff wire, is laid into the mold and rigidly held between the hangers by the pouring of the metal forming the latter around its ends.

Heretofore the several parts comprising a roller skate-viz., the foot plate hangers, brace-rod, slideways for the clamps, and yokes for journaling the clamp-screwshave been formed separately and then secured to the plate by means of rivets or screws. This not only has necessitated great expense in the assembly of the skate, but the several portions of the skate under the strain of constant use become loosened from one another, and so cause both noise and annoyance. Furthermore, in the attaching of the hangers and slideways to the plate, the rivet-heads projecting upwardly from the surface of the footplate are prone to cause lameness and injury to the foot, especially where shoes having thin soles are worn by the skater.

By the method of forming the body and rigid appendages of the skate which we have described we are enabled, first, to do away with rivets and screws for fastening the hangers and slideways to the plate, thus obviating booth looseness of the parts and injury to the sole of the foot; second, to readily and cheaply form the heelabutment on the rear of the plate; third, to do away with the small pieces of metal heretofore riveted to the plate to form the slideways; and, fourth, to save both labor and expense in the construction of the skate.

In our invention we do not desire to be understood as laying claim, broadly, to a cast skate as a new article of manufacture, but merely to the method herein described of producing the several parts comprising the skate in a cheap and efficient manner, whereby great durability and lightness in the finished article are effected.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The method of making skates herein de scribed, the same consisting in casting the footplate, heel-abutment, hangers,brace-rib,bracerod, yokes, and slideways integral and in a single operation, substantially as described.

2. The method herein described, the same consisting in casting the hangers around the extremities of the brace-rod and securing the former to the footplate either in the process of casting, or afterward, by means of screws.

In testimony whereof we afiix oursignatures IO in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. BELKNAP. FREDRIGK W. WOOD.

Vitnessesi S. S. WILLIAMSON, "W. T. HAVILAND. 

